Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Latest Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Persons with reduced levels of TREM2 protein at greater risk for neurodegenerative diseases

Persons with reduced levels of the TREM2 protein could be at greater risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal dementia, according to an international study which included the participation of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute.

3 Jul 2014

Researchers identify genetic mutation that may cause parkinsonism in young people

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen and the Copenhagen University Hospital have identified a particular genetic mutation that may cause parkinsonism in young people. The mutation interferes with the brain's transport of the important signal substance dopamine and may also plays a role in mental diseases, e.g. ADHD.

3 Jul 2014

Regular walking may ease Parkinson's symptoms

People with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease who regularly walk for exercise may improve their motor function, mood, tiredness, fitness and some aspects of thinking abilities, according to a study published in the July 2, 2014, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

3 Jul 2014

Researchers give new, unprecedented 3-D view of most important brain receptors

Researchers with Oregon Health & Science University's Vollum Institute have given science a new and unprecedented 3-D view of one of the most important receptors in the brain - a receptor that allows us to learn and remember, and whose dysfunction is involved in a wide range of neurological diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, schizophrenia and depression.

28 Jun 2014

Xenex testifies before U.S. House of Representatives on effectiveness of UV disinfection system in reducing HAI rates

Xenex Disinfection Services, the world leader in UV room disinfection systems, testified yesterday before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; Subcommittee on Research and Technology; and Subcommittee on Oversight.

28 Jun 2014

ALS is aggravated by over-activity of HDAC6 enzyme, shows study

Scientists at VIB and KU Leuven have demonstrated in fruit-flies that over-activity of the enzyme HDAC6 in the nerve ends exacerbates the symptoms of the neurodegenerative condition Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS / Lou Gehrig's Disease). Inhibition of this enzyme could offer a protective effect against ALS.

27 Jun 2014

Scientists one step closer to understanding the causes of Parkinson's disease

Scientists have taken a step closer to understanding the causes of Parkinson's disease, identifying what's happening at a cellular level to potentially help develop future treatments.

27 Jun 2014

FMM supports research project to investigate mitochondria-targeted therapeutic approach

The Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine announced today that it is working with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research to support a research project led by Wolfdieter Springer, PhD, at the Department of Neuroscience at Mayo Clinic in Florida to investigate a mitochondria-targeted therapeutic approach to treating Parkinson's disease.

26 Jun 2014

DBS improves motor and non motor symptoms of patients with early Parkinson's disease

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become a well-recognized non-pharmacologic treatment that improves motor symptoms of patients with early and advanced Parkinson's disease.

26 Jun 2014

Study explores prevalence of chronic brain damage in retired NFL players

A study published online today in Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach provides a different take on previous information regarding the prevalence of chronic brain damage in retired NFL players.

26 Jun 2014

Scientists use femtosecond lasers to tackle Parkinson's disease

Scientists are combining physics and neurobiology to tackle Parkinson's disease. The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University's Femtosecond Spectroscopy Unit and Neurobiology Research Unit, along with collaborators at the University of Otago, New Zealand are using lasers, nanotechnology and neuroscience to develop a new, versatile drug delivery system.

26 Jun 2014

Veterans with traumatic brain injury more likely to develop dementia in later life

Older veterans who have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are 60 percent more likely to later develop dementia than veterans without TBI, according to a study published in the June 25, 2014, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

25 Jun 2014

XenoPort initiates XP23829 Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with psoriasis

XenoPort, Inc. announced today that it has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial of XP23829, its proprietary investigational next-generation fumaric acid product candidate. The trial is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to assess the efficacy and safety of XP23829 as a potential treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque-type psoriasis.

23 Jun 2014

People with muscle diseases may benefit more from group doctor visits

A new study suggests that people with muscle diseases such as muscular dystrophies may benefit more from group doctor visits than individual appointments. The study is published in the June 18, 2014, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Jun 2014

U-M researchers detail new discoveries about basic biology of dystonia

Twist and hold your neck to the left. Now down, and over to the right, until it hurts. Now imagine your neck - or arms or legs - randomly doing that on their own, without you controlling it.

18 Jun 2014

Failing dopamine pump damages brain cells of patients with Parkinson's disease

A study group at the Medical University of Vienna's Centre for Brain Research has investigated the function of an intracellular dopamine pump in Parkinson's patients compared to a healthy test group.

18 Jun 2014

Increase in protein helps store dopamine and protects from Parkinson's disease

Researchers from Emory's Rollins School of Public Health discovered that an increase in the protein that helps store dopamine, a critical brain chemical, led to enhanced dopamine neurotransmission and protection from a Parkinson's disease-related neurotoxin in mice.

18 Jun 2014

Combination of effective drugs for Parkinson's disease controls symptoms of Rett syndrome in mice

IDIBELL researchers, led by the director of the Program for Epigenetics and Cancer Biology, ICREA researcher and Professor of Genetics at the University of Barcelona, Manel Esteller, have shown that a combination of effective drugs for Parkinson's disease in mice that are used as a model of human Rett syndrome reduces some of the symptoms associated with this disease.

17 Jun 2014

High-protein diets lower stroke risk

People with diets higher in protein, especially from fish, may be less likely to have a stroke than those with diets lower in protein, according to a meta-analysis published in the June 11, 2014, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

12 Jun 2014

REM sleep disorder: A sign of impending neurodegenerative disease

How many millions of people suffer from sleep disturbance? One sleep disorder in particular, called REM behavior disorder, could be a sign of impending neurodegenerative disease, including Parkinson's and dementia, say scientists presenting their research at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging's 2014 Annual Meeting.

10 Jun 2014